International Telecommunications Data Report (2006)

This is the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) annual report compiling data on telecommunications service between the United States and international points. The data compiled in this report are for the year 2006. The data are compiled from reports submitted to the FCC by U.S. carriers pursuant to Section 43.61 of the Commission's rules. Section 43.61(a) directs carriers to file reports by July 31 which summarize international telecommunications service provided during the preceding calendar year. Carriers submit corrections of the data by October 31. The specific filing requirements are set forth in the Manual for Filing Section 43.61 Data (June 1995).

Statistical Findings

U.S. billed minutes increased 3.3% from 70.1 billion in 2005 to 72.4 billion in 2006.

In 2006, seventy-six U.S. facilities-based and facilities-resale carriers together reported that they billed $7.3 billion for international telephone service, and $792 million for international private line and other miscellaneous services, compared to $7.4 billion and $738 million, respectively, in 2005.

U.S. carriers’ net settlement payments – the amount paid to foreign carriers to compensate those carriers for completing calls – slightly increased from $3.1 billion in 2005 to $3.3 billion in 2006.

Retained revenues – revenues billed by U.S. carriers, less settlement amounts owed to foreign carriers for U.S. billed traffic, plus settlement amounts due to U.S. carriers for foreign-billed traffic – decreased 4.0% from $5.0 billion in 2005 to $4.8 billion in 2006.

Pure resale providers resell the services of underlying U.S. facilities-based and facilitiesresale carriers. The number of reporting carriers grew from 838 in 2005 to 927 in 2006. Pure resale minutes grew from 47.2 billion in 2005 to 54.1 billion in 2006. Billed revenues increased from $5.8 billion in 2005 to $6.1 billion in 2006.